If you’re a seasoned veteran of track and trail you probably don’t need a lot of advice from strangers about how to get the most from your experience. If you’re new to the game, however, you can probably use all the advice you can get. That’s why we’re here. We were just getting started ourselves at one point and know that beginners often have more questions than answers about dirt bike riding. So below we’re going to cover important tips that will make dirt bike riding for beginners as fun and safe as possible.
Dirt Bike Riding for Beginners: Useful Tips
The most important thing for beginners to keep in mind is that they’re beginners. They need to lay a solid foundation under them that they can build on. Here’s how you do that.
- Don’t make your first bike a big powerful bike – Sure, everyone wants to believe they can handle that Yamaha 450 right out of the gate but it rarely works that way. What usually happens to those who start at the top power wise is a phenomenon called “injury”. The cc ceiling should be 250 for beginner dirt bikes and if you survive that intact you can step up from there.
- Invest in the best safety equipment – Dirt bike riding never reaches the kind of speeds you see in MotoGP. Then again those guys on the MotoGP course don’t have to deal with boulders, tree roots, overhanging branches and rocks kicked up in their face by the bike in front of them. Riding a dirt bike means you do. So first class safety equipment is not an option. It’s a must.
- Learn some basic maintenance – The quality of your ride depends on the state of your bike as much as your ability as a rider. It’s important that you understand the basics of how your bike works and learn some basic maintenance as well. That includes learning how to change the oil, clean the air filter, check and adjust tire pressure, check and adjust the chain and check the forks for leaky seals. Solid maintenance will save you a lot of time and hassle.
- Pimp that sucker out – Look, you don’t know diddly about riding to begin with so there’s nothing wrong with diverting the masses from your inexperience by tripping out your ride with some state of the art graphics. Dirt bike graphics for beginners are way more affordable than you think and will divert attention from your questionable technique long enough for you to right the ship.
- Be honest about your abilities – It could be that the first time out you nail it. That’s great. Just don’t expect to do it again any time soon. Dirt bike riding for beginners is about staying within yourself when you’re first starting out and not jumping the gun if you have a solid ride early on. After all, anyone is capable of hitting their first free throw. But that doesn’t mean they’re ready for the NBA.
- Join the club – Dirt bike riders tend to be rugged individualists. We get it. But when you’re learning to ride a dirt bike it can be useful to surround yourself with others who share your enthusiasm and desire to improve. By joining a club you’re likely to make friendships that will last a lifetime, even if you eventually move beyond the club scene. Clubs are also great sources of dirt bike information for beginners.
Conclusion
Dirt bike riding for beginners is exciting and full of limitless possibilities. Take the above dirt bike tips for beginners to heart and you’re sure to get off on the right foot with your new dirt bike.